City Council To Elect Speaker Next Week; East Harlem Councilwoman Projects Victory

NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) - With New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio sworn in, attention turns to the second most powerful position in New York City.

Members of the City Council will vote next week to select a speaker.

Some elected officials held a rally Thursday for front-runner Melissa Mark-Viverito.

As WCBS 880's Alex Silverman reported, the progressive from East Harlem has already declared victory with on-the-record commitments from enough council members to make her speaker.

"The chancellor of the New York City public school system is a Latina and the next speaker of the city council will be a Latina," new councilman Ritchie Torres, 25, from the Bronx said Thursday. "Ladies and gentlemen mark my words, 2014 is going to be in the hands of wise Latinas."

Mark-Viverito did not attend the rally.

Though there have been rumblings, Gov. Andrew Cuomo denied a report that he's trying to block Mark-Viverito's election.

There has also been talk of former Speaker Christine Quinn trying to sway council members, but one political observer noted Quinn may not have much leverage, Silverman reported.

Mark-Viverito was first elected to the City Council in 2005.

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